In the autumn of 2017, a sweet and energetic 16-year-old girl named Deberianah Begley, known to her loved ones as 'Nunue,' was tragically killed in a senseless act of violence in Nashville, Tennessee. On the evening of October 8th, Deberianah was on the porch of her home in the James Cayce public housing development, laughing and dancing. Her life was cut short when gunfire erupted between two groups of young men in a nearby courtyard. As she tried to run for cover, a stray bullet struck her. She was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Deberianah was a student at Stratford High School, where she was active in the school band and a member of the 'Divas of Perfection' dance team.
The investigation into the senseless killing of the female teenager led to the arrests of four individuals. Antonio Gordon-Jenkins, Jamarius Hill, Tomaz Kerley, and Mohamed Miray were all charged in connection with her death. The motive for the shooting that claimed the innocent bystander's life was not made clear. The community mourned the loss of another young life to gun violence and held vigils in her memory, demanding justice.
The legal proceedings for the four suspects unfolded over several years. Antonio Gordon-Jenkins and Jamarius Hill, who were both teenagers at the time of the shooting, were among those who fired shots. Gordon-Jenkins was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced, but his conviction was later overturned on appeal, and a new trial was ordered for the murder charge. His conviction for reckless endangerment was upheld. Jamarius Hill was also charged with murder and was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder, receiving a 15-year prison sentence.
The other two men faced different outcomes. Tomaz Kerley, who was also implicated in the incident, saw his felony murder charge amended to aggravated criminal trespass, and he was found guilty of that lesser charge. Mohamed Miray, the fourth suspect arrested, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder. He was later convicted of the lesser charge of accessory after the fact for his role in the events surrounding Deberianah's death.
